Harley in the Hangar: Chop Shop?

[Carli]

I wonder if any of the cars in the hangar were still CM's collection.



http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/05/17/dellen-millard-suspect-in-tim-bosmas-death-was-always-a-little-different-classmate-says/

And WM carried equipment in his animal rights work. Could the c-cans have been used then?



http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/05/31/millard-aviation-business-in-decline-long-before-tim-bosma-murder-suspect-started-to-dismantle-it/

And up until 1990, the main business of Millard Air was flying automotive parts.

MILLARDAIR Douglas C-117D/R4D-8 --C-GGKE | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Anyone else whose curiosity about this peculiar case primarily springs from an interest in early Canadian aviation history may find this link informative - paricularly as it references MillardAir's Detroit/Toronto auto parts shipments - and, later, this particular aircraft's role in the Berlin airlift. (Incidentally, IMO, while by all accounts CM was something of a curmudgeon and fierce task master, I very, very gravely doubt he was ever in the chop shop business!) MOO.

http://www.spiritoffreedom.org/c54.html

 

[Alethea Dice]

That photo appears to be copyrighted and that is probably the issue. See below...........


I'd like to use a photo I found on Flickr. How do I do that?

Our members share an incredible amount of amazing work on Flickr. If there is an image you'd like to use, look for the "Request to license" link near the license on the photo page. We've partnered with Getty Images who will review the image, determine if it's a good fit for licensing through them, and work out all the details if so.

http://www.flickr.com/help/general/#147

Yes, I was only trying to show the link to the webpage and the whole box where the picture would be shows up. I wasn't trying to insert the picture, just the link, same as with a MSM link.

 

[Alethea Dice]

Anyone else whose curiosity about this peculiar case primarily springs from an interest in early Canadian aviation history may find this link informative - paricularly as it references MillardAir's Detroit/Toronto auto parts shipments - and, later, this particular aircraft's role in the Berlin airlift. (Incidentally, IMO, while by all accounts CM was something of a curmudgeon and fierce task master, I very, very gravely doubt he was ever in the chop shop business!) MOO.

http://www.spiritoffreedom.org/c54.html

Just want to clarify that I wasn't in any means suggesting that other family members had been in any shady business. I was only suggesting that perhaps some of the cars/car parts/c-cans were there for previous legitimate reasons and may not necessarily be from an illegal enterprise.

 

[expat cdn]

Is it possible the family has been running stolen auto parts for years, mixing stolen parts in with legit ones to avoid detection? Dellen's obit for his father mentioned something about a time when competition was friendly. I wonder if the reference was to stolen auto parts and not the airline industry?

I have wondered that also. Maybe turned a blind eye to it, or knowing that what was being shipped was stolen.

 

[Archangel7]

I have wondered that also. Maybe turned a blind eye to it, or knowing that what was being shipped was stolen.

Maybe he was referring to "competition" between him and his dad?

The chop shop validity bothers me simply because of the lack of efficiency.
Most chop shops are moving parts within minutes because of custom requests.
Same with cars stolen to order, out the door quickly.

Just odd to have stolen parts and a stolen Harley from months ago laying around.

JMO

 

[SnooperDuper]

Maybe he was referring to "competition" between him and his dad?

The chop shop validity bothers me simply because of the lack of efficiency.
Most chop shops are moving parts within minutes because of custom requests.
Same with cars stolen to order, out the door quickly.

Just odd to have stolen parts and a stolen Harley from months ago laying around.

JMO

I think DM, with his wealth, just lived the life of a consumer: he did not have to earn money to be able to spend it, so he may not have been that good at the economics of running an actual chop shop. I think he was just collecting things for his hobby, rather than trying to turn around and sell them. IMO.

Someone like MS might have learned a lot about business economics from selling drugs...but then MS might not have been involved in that aspect.

I don't think that DM was sophisticated enough to run a chop shop...any job, whether is it legal or illegal, requires you to show up, work, and be diligent in order for it to pay off. DM was living a much more relaxed lifestyle and I don't think he wanted to work at all, at anything.

 

[Archangel7]

I think DM, with his wealth, just lived the life of a consumer: he did not have to earn money to be able to spend it, so he may not have been that good at the economics of running an actual chop shop. I think he was just collecting things for his hobby, rather than trying to turn around and sell them. IMO.

Someone like MS might have learned a lot about business economics from selling drugs...but then MS might not have been involved in that aspect.

I don't think that DM was sophisticated enough to run a chop shop...any job, whether is it legal or illegal, requires you to show up, work, and be diligent in order for it to pay off. DM was living a much more relaxed lifestyle and I don't think he wanted to work at all, at anything.

I agree, the picture that the current evidence paints is more of a theft for personal use than a commercial enterprise. That would also explain the stolen parts/vehicles hanging around to be discovered.

Pretty obvious DM didn't want to work at running a multimillion dollar MRO.
MS? Sounds like a typical loser like the cops scoop up everyday for one thing or another.
JMO

 

[Blomquist]

Maybe he was referring to "competition" between him and his dad?

The chop shop validity bothers me simply because of the lack of efficiency.
Most chop shops are moving parts within minutes because of custom requests.
Same with cars stolen to order, out the door quickly.

Just odd to have stolen parts and a stolen Harley from months ago laying around.

JMO

IMO the statements in the obituary are quite interesting. The 'when competition was only friendly' part was maybe referring to how nowadays there are different types of 'business' ethics. If someone is in competition for your money do they always get it by lawful means? What if he is meaning that the competition is not friendly and as such is dreaded, due to threats being made ? just a suggestion and JMO.

The 'the only people he feared was racists' comment....may indicate a certain group of people who are known to be racists and also quite dreaded in the field of business and enterprise JMO

There were other comments of interest but I can't remember them right now...

MOO

 

[Carli]

Is it possible the family has been running stolen auto parts for years, mixing stolen parts in with legit ones to avoid detection? Dellen's obit for his father mentioned something about a time when competition was friendly. I wonder if the reference was to stolen auto parts and not the airline industry?

Holy mackerel! Are you suggesting MillardAir has been actively engaged in illegal activity for decades? Given the history of the company I find that to be a rather awesome conclusion, imo. A spectacular conclusion, if I may say so. Wow.

 

[Carli]

Maybe he was referring to "competition" between him and his dad?

The chop shop validity bothers me simply because of the lack of efficiency.
Most chop shops are moving parts within minutes because of custom requests.
Same with cars stolen to order, out the door quickly.

Just odd to have stolen parts and a stolen Harley from months ago laying around.

JMO

Do we known when the stolen Harley ended up in the hangar? Theoretically it may have done so promptly upon having been stolen. Just as possibly it may have been "chopped" elsewhere, I suppose. Why is it important to believe that the hangar was being used as a chop shop? Even LE seems to have backed away from their first statement reducing "up to 100 vehicles" to "something fewer than 10" vehicles of questionable ownership. Photos of the interior of the old Mississauga hangar include numerous automobiles, presumably part CM's classic connection. What happened to them? Were they moved to the new hangar?

 

[SnooperDuper]

LE has called DM's hangar "a typical chop shop":

Waterloo Regional Police say the stolen vehicle investigation at the local hangar is being led by Hamilton Police. They'll only become involved if some of the parts or vehicles can be traced back to vehicles stolen within the region, said Insp. Kevin Thaler.

"Hamilton is there on that property under the authority of their warrant. Anything they find in there, as a courtesy, if they recognize it as stolen, they'll turn it over to the original agency," he said.

The description of vehicles dismantled, repainted and having serial numbers grinded away fits with a "typical chop shop," he said.

http://www.therecord.com/news-story/3250211-stolen-vehicles-found-inside-millard-s-airport-hangar/

 

[puppyraiser]

Holy mackerel! Are you suggesting MillardAir has been actively engaged in illegal activity for decades? Given the history of the company I find that to be a rather awesome conclusion, imo. A spectacular conclusion, if I may say so. Wow.

No, I am not suggesting decades at all. I was referring to the time period after Carl passed and Wayne or Dellen may have been more active in the company.

 

[lanman]

Do we known when the stolen Harley ended up in the hangar? Theoretically it may have done so promptly upon having been stolen. Just as possibly it may have been "chopped" elsewhere, I suppose. Why is it important to believe that the hangar was being used as a chop shop? Even LE seems to have backed away from their first statement reducing "up to 100 vehicles" to "something fewer than 10" vehicles of questionable ownership. Photos of the interior of the old Mississauga hangar include numerous automobiles, presumably part CM's classic connection. What happened to them? Were they moved to the new hangar?

The police never made any statement that there were hundreds of vehicles. That came from "sources".

"Sources say hundreds of vehicles have been found in a hangar."

http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/sunnews/straighttalk/archives/2013/05/20130530-065940.html

In other articles, "Police say they're still trying to track down owners of the discovered vehicles, putting the number found at fewer than 10. "

http://www.thespec.com/news-story/3...anger-may-have-been-one-big-chop-shop-police/

The 'sources' that said 'hundreds' could have been the tow truck drivers neighbour

 

[Carli]

The police never made any statement that there were hundreds of vehicles. That came from "sources".

"Sources say hundreds of vehicles have been found in a hangar."

http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/sunnews/straighttalk/archives/2013/05/20130530-065940.html

In other articles, "Police say they're still trying to track down owners of the discovered vehicles, putting the number found at fewer than 10. "

http://www.thespec.com/news-story/3...anger-may-have-been-one-big-chop-shop-police/

The 'sources' that said 'hundreds' could have been the tow truck drivers neighbour

Thanks, lanman. The Sun strikes again. I should have checked the source.:back:

 

[bessie]

Stolen vehicles broken down into parts, serial numbers ground out. Five or five hundred, a chop shop's a chop shop. Low volume doesn't make it any less so.

"I can confirm that the motorcycle written about was recovered in the hangar by the Hamilton police. There were a number of vehicles and/or parts found in the hangar and this remains under investigation," Constable Debbie McGreal-Dinning said in an email.

Police say they're still trying to track down owners of the discovered vehicles, putting the number found at fewer than 10.

The description of vehicles dismantled, repainted and having serial numbers ground away fits with a "typical chop shop," said Waterloo Regional Police Inspector Kevin Thaler.

http://www.thespec.com/news-story/3...anger-may-have-been-one-big-chop-shop-police/

 

[lanman]

Stolen vehicles broken down into parts, serial numbers ground out. Five or five hundred, a chop shop's a chop shop. Low volume doesn't make it any less so.

http://www.thespec.com/news-story/3...anger-may-have-been-one-big-chop-shop-police/

Exactly. "Fewer than 10" vehicles could mean they were really efficient

From Wikipedia:

A chop shop must be able to take apart a car without damaging the parts and keep them organized. Time is of the essence: more cars processed equals higher profits. There is no advantage to a large inventory, as it can be done more efficiently in a "JIT" (Just In Time) manner by asking a thief only when cars are needed.

 

[Carli]

So are we generally agreed then that DM, a high school dropout, sociopath, dog bisquit eater and all around lout, squandered his family's wealth, murdered TB either for the thrill of it and/or a fit of entitlement petulance simply wanted the victim's old truck enough to murder him, then disposed of the remains by burning them in or around a little incinerator on his farm and then, with the constabulary on his tail, incriminated his own mother by parking the stolen truck in her driveway. He also murdered his father and one or more girlfriends, made soft movies in one hangar and ran a chop shop in the other and in a final coup de grace for the family company, cancelled licensing of necessary credentials and closed down the operations entirely. That seems to be about the size of it, imo, at least according to the information we've received so far, MOO. Have I missed anything?

 

[SnooperDuper]

So are we generally agreed then that DM, a high school dropout, sociopath, dog bisquit eater and all around lout, squandered his family's wealth, murdered TB either for the thrill of it and/or a fit of entitlement petulance simply wanted the victim's old truck enough to murder him, then disposed of the remains by burning them in or around a little incinerator on his farm and then, with the constabulary on his tail, incriminated his own mother by parking the stolen truck in her driveway. He also murdered his father and one or more girlfriends, made soft movies in one hangar and ran a chop shop in the other and in a final coup de grace for the family company, cancelled licensing of necessary credentials and closed down the operations entirely. That seems to be about the size of it, imo, at least according to the information we've received so far, MOO. Have I missed anything?

Well his mother has not been incriminated

Police said Millard's mother, Madeleine Burns, is not involved in any way.

http://www.thespec.com/news-story/2875896-bosma-investigation-long-from-over-/

...and the was photo stills, not movies, but yeah, basically, that's it.

 

[Snoofo]

So are we generally agreed then that DM, a high school dropout, sociopath, dog bisquit eater and all around lout, squandered his family's wealth, murdered TB either for the thrill of it and/or a fit of entitlement petulance simply wanted the victim's old truck enough to murder him, then disposed of the remains by burning them in or around a little incinerator on his farm and then, with the constabulary on his tail, incriminated his own mother by parking the stolen truck in her driveway. He also murdered his father and one or more girlfriends, made soft movies in one hangar and ran a chop shop in the other and in a final coup de grace for the family company, cancelled licensing of necessary credentials and closed down the operations entirely. That seems to be about the size of it, imo, at least according to the information we've received so far, MOO. Have I missed anything?

Sounds horrible I know but it could just be because, as we've heard, he may even have had a learning disability. That would explain it.
:facepalm:

(Sarcasm, mine)

 

[Alethea Dice]

I'm curious why Waterloo LE aren't investigating this "chop shop" on their own. As per SnooperDuper's link above, they'll only become involved if some of the parts or vehicles turn out to be stolen from their area??? It was the Waterloo LE that said it "fits with a typical chop shop", this supposed chop shop is in their area, but their not going to investgate it? They're leaving it all up to the Hamilton murder investigation to let them know if they find anything stolen from Waterloo? I would have thought that, if a chop shop was found by other LE in your area, the local LE would be obligated to investigate that. Technically, Hamilton LE should care less about the other vehicles, since they're investigating a murder case. (Except of course for the vehicles that were used in the murder case.) Maybe that's why we haven't heard about any charges for the motorcycle. It sounds like it would be up to TPS to lay those charges because the theft happened in their jurisdiction. But first, they have to figure out who to charge.